St. John’s Church starts ‘Swaddling Clothes’ to fill a need

     There is a new service offered in Jones County that aims to serve a need for mothers and families with young children.

   “Swaddling Clothes” has opened in the basement of St. John’s Lutheran Church outside of Monticello. The mission of the LCMS-based (Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod) organization “is to share the mercy of Christ with our neighbors through the gifts of clothing, food, friendship, and the forgiving Word of God.”

   Swaddling Clothes strives on donations of both gently used and new clothing items and monetary to stock a “store” in the basement of the church with clothing and necessities for children 0-5, as well as maternity clothing items. Then, on the third Saturday of every month from 9 to 11 a.m., and the following Monday from 4:30 to 6 p.m., families can come to St. John’s and “shop” for items of need.

   Pastor Caleb and Sarah Schewe said this is a free service.

   “This is not income-based,” said Sarah. “If there’s a need, we’ll help.”

   As for choosing the right time to be open, Sarah explained by the end of the month, EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer, also known as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)) benefits start to dry up.

   “Things get tight for families and their budget doesn’t stretch as far by the end of the month,” she said.

   Swaddling Clothes offers:

   • Clothing for children ages 0-5, including seasonal clothing, diapers, wipes, etc.

   • Shelf-stable (not expired) baby formula and baby food

   • Bottles

   • Cribs, Pack n Plays, etc.

   • Rockers/rocking chairs, baby nursery-related furniture

   • Maternity clothes

   Donations can be dropped off at the church during the times Swaddling Clothes is open. They do not accept children’s toys and car seats.

   If these times don’t work for you to drop off donations, reach out to Swaddling Clothes via email at monticello@swaddlingclothes.org and they will arrange a time.

   “People have blessed the church with monetary donations to help us purchase diapers and wipes,” acknowledged Sarah.

   In addition, ORBIS in Monticello donated plastic totes to allow the volunteers to separate the various clothing items by size to make it easier for those coming to “shop.” The Schewes said church member Kati Besler helped with that connection, as she works at ORBIS.

   In addition to church members, St. John’s also received donations from a Lutheran church in Lowden who also had a Swaddling Clothes operation but had to shut down.

   Those who utilize Swaddling Clothes will be limited on the number of items they take to allow the church to continue to serve as many families as possible.

   “Our collection will fluctuate based on donations and age,” Sarah offered.

   Also, there is a limit on one big item, such as a rocker, per family, per month.

   “Everything is on a first-come, first-serve basis,” said Sarah.

   Right now, the winter-related clothing items are on display. With so many donations, the church plans to display seasonal clothing items.

   “We’ll swap out the summer clothes after winter,” said Sarah.

   Those who come to “shop” will be asked to fill out some required paperwork, including a liability release.

   “That just covers the church and the organization,” explained Sarah.

   The other paperwork simply asks families how many kids they have, their immediate needs, and items they might be looking for.

   “It’s a way to get to know people,” add Sarah.

   The information does not ask for personal information and is kept confidential by the church.

   Swaddling Clothes in Monticello opened on Nov. 16 and 18 for the first time. Caleb said they had one customer who drove from 45 minutes away.

   While there are LCMS Lutheran churches who offer Swaddling Clothes all over the state and country, Sarah got the idea after realizing there was not a pregnancy crisis center in Jones County.

   “This is a natural fit for our church with the daycare serving infant children,” Caleb said. “The daycare is part of the foundation of the church. God is a softy when it comes to babies. We thought this would be a good fit within our region, and it serves a great need.”

   Shoppers can pull in the back of the church to park, and are asked to use the rear door.

   “This basement is used sparingly at this time of year,” Sarah said of having plenty of space to display and house Swaddling Clothes. “We had the space, why not use it?”

   About a dozen church volunteers have given their time to help sort through the clothes and donated items, as well as greet folks and assist them while shopping.

   To view what Swaddling Clothes has in stock, visit their Facebook page “Swaddling Clothes – St. John’s Monticello.”

   Their next “shopping” days will be Saturday, Dec. 21, and Monday, Dec. 23.

   St. John’s Lutheran Church is located at 18927 Highway 38, Monticello.